My daughter, who is now 7 years old, has been diagnosed with ADHD, Dyslexia, Motor Function delays and Executive Function disorder. This diagnosis came after about four months of testing and evaluation. The ADHD diagnosis came as a surprise, not just to us, but to her teachers and specialists as well. They just didn’t see it.
The plan of action included continuation with what we are already doing and medication. We tried the medication and were told we would see an immediate change. The medication did nothing other than make her depressed. She is known for her sweet personality so the change was obvious. We tried other meds with the same result.
I am wondering if she has been misdiagnosed. She is now reading and writing through the help of a specialist as well as at home. She is also doing well with math. She is still struggling with her ability to stay focused and follow directions (ie. if I ask her to face me she will turn around with her back to me). At this point in her treatment, do you have any advice as to what I can do next? Thank you, in advance, for you time and consideration.
I would trust your observations and judgment. It is possible that her inattention is the result of her learning, motor, (and probably language) disabilities. If so, medication may not help; remedial tutoring, OT, Speech-Language will help. I suggest that you hold off on trying medication and give the interventions a chance to help. If the professionals working with her feel that her inattention is a major concern, you might want to have her reassessed by a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist to explore why the medications did not work and to find if other interventions might help.